Windsor's Courtney Rush Is Courant's Male Athlete Of The Year

Stephen Dunn

The first All-Courant Banquet was held Thursday night at the Stadium Club at Rentschler Field honoring the 28 high school athletes of the year. Courtney Rush of Windsor is congratulated as he learns that he has been named Bo Kolinsky Athlete of the Year.

The first All-Courant Banquet was held Thursday night at the Stadium Club at Rentschler Field honoring the 28 high school athletes of the year. Courtney Rush of Windsor is congratulated as he learns that he has been named Bo Kolinsky Athlete of the Year.

Said football coach Rob Fleeting, "When he caught the football, he had that extra acceleration; no one was going to catch him."

Rush was a top wide receiver who helped lead Windsor to its first football championship in Class L–Small, but he also led the Warriors to the Class L indoor track title, the team's fifth straight L outdoor championship, and its second State Open championship in four years.

Rush was named the Bo Kolinsky Male Athlete Of The Year Thursday night before a crowd of more than 100 at The Courant's inaugural All-Courant Players of the Year banquet at Rentschler Field. Tolland cross country and track runner Caitlin Swanson received the award as the top female athlete. The awards were renamed this year after the longtime high school sports editor of The Courant, who died in 2003.

The first All-Courant Sports Banquet was held Thursday night at the Stadium Club at Rentschler Field honoring the 28 high school athletes of the year.

(Stephen Dunn and Sean Fowler)

Rush and Swanson were selected from a pool of 28 All-Courant Players/Athletes of the Year in their sports, which were picked after the fall, winter and spring seasons. Rush was the outdoor track athlete of the year.

"It is a great honor," Rush said. "I give credit to my coaches and teammates for helping along the way. To receive this and to be included in the same sentence with the athletes here and to win this, well it just took my breath away."

Rush won the CCC and Class L titles in the 300 meters in the indoor track season. In the outdoor season, he won the 400 meters in the CCC, Class L and State Open meets. He also helped Windsor win the 4x100 relay at the CCC North championship, the L championship, the State Open and the New England championship. At the Nationals, he was part of the Warriors' 4x200 relay team that ran 1:27.41 to break the previous outdoor state record held by Weaver-Hartford (1:27.50), and finished sixth.

Rush's debut in the 400 as a junior wasn't impressive. He ran a 57.67 at the Hispanic Games, but Kearse believed Rush had the makings of a State Open champion in the event. He was right as Rush finished off his fine season in the 400 at the State Open when he won the title in 48.52.

"Courtney could be counted on not only to compete, but also to compete at the highest level," Kearse said. "Throughout the year Courtney stepped in and stepped up wherever and whenever we needed him.

"If I needed him to long jump, he long jumped when Nate [Williams] got hurt, and I needed another 400-meter runner, he ran the 400 meters. ... He always put the team first. Despite the fact that the 200m was his favorite race, he willingly moved up to the 400 because that's where the team needed him most."

In football, Rush caught 39 passes for 906 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also ran for one TD.

His top games were nine receptions for 230 yards and two TDs against Bristol Eastern, four for 128 and one TD against Glastonbury and three and 113 and three TDs against Middletown. In the latter game, his scoring receptions were 19, 77 and 25 yards.

"He was always our No. 1 guy, but teams had to make decisions," Fleeting said. "Do they try to stop the run? Do they double [receiver] Tyler Coyle or Rush?"

When Windsor's coaching staff saw Rush was getting single coverage, opposing defenses often were hurt by Rush's speed and "great hands," according to Fleeting.

"When athletes allow themselves to be coached in football and track or whatever sport, good things happen for you," Fleeting said. "Guys are naturally fast. When you combine that with more coaching, instructions and development, then, well, the fast gets faster."